»07/19/2012CHINA - AFRICAHu Jintao doubles Chinese credit to AfricaSpeaking at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Communist leader pledges US$ 20 billion in credit. Ostensibly, the aid is to build the local infrastructure and train local workers; in fact, it will enhance China's sway over African natural resources.

Beijing
(AsiaNews/Agencies) - In a push to maintain its privileged place in Africa,
China will double its credit up to US$ 20 billion in Africa, said Chinese
president Hu
Jintao who
spoke at a summit in Beijing with African leaders like South African President
Jacob Zuma and Benin President Boni Yayi (who chairs the African Union)
as well as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is at its fifth edition. Its gives China an
opportunity to develop closer ties with Africa, a continent rich in resource
but lacking the means to develop them on its own.

Hu said that
the loans would support infrastructure, agriculture and the development of
small businesses.

The amount
is double what China pledged in a previous three-year period in 2009, when it became
Africa's largest trading partner.

Trade
between the two hit a record high of US$ 166 billion in 2011, up 83 per cent
over 2009.

"China
and Africa's destinies are closely linked, Chinese and African friendship is
deeply rooted in the hearts of the people on both sides," the Chinese
president said.

In
addition, China will implement the 'African Talents Program' to train 30,000 Africans
in various sectors, offer 18,000 government scholarships, and send 1,500
medical staff.

Rhetoric
aside, Beijing is well aware that its "yuan diplomacy" is crucial to
obtain African oil and natural gas. Without it, it would not be able to keep
its current growth levels.

EGYPT - ISLAMWhat Tayeb and Sisi said is big step towards a revolution in Islamby Samir Khalil SamirThe grand imam of Al-Azhar slammed literalist interpretations of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, as fundamentalists and Islamic terrorists do. He supports the urgent need for Islam's reform, especially in terms of teaching lay people and clerics. He also calls for an end to mutual excommunication (takfir) between Sunnis and Shias. Egyptian President al-Sisi chose to fight the Islamic state group after it beheaded 21 Coptic Christians, whom he called "Egyptian citizens" with full rights.

SAUDI ARABIA - ISLAMFor head of Al-Azhar, religious education reform is needed to stop Islamic extremismFor Ahmed al-Tayeb, it is urgent to come up with new educational programmes to avoid "corrupt interpretations" of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Islamic terrorism undermines the unity of the Muslim world. He blames Mideast tensions on a "new global colonialism allied to world Zionism". a speech by the Saudi king is read at the conference.